A Life Preserver...
in a Sea of Debt
Judy says...
"Remember... your will to save should be stronger than your will to spend."
"Acquire a new spending mindset to live debt free."
Testimonials & Reviews
In this wonderful, reader friendly book, Judy Guralchuk offers a wealth of
practical tips and information to help people get out of credit card debt. Borrowing on her
own personal experiences, she provides a detailed, concrete program for conquering
overspending and moving from debt to permanent financial security by addressing
attitudinal obstacles. A Life Preserver in a Sea of Debt is an invaluable tool for anyone
who wants to take control of their finances, spend wisely, provide for themselves in their
retirement, and not feel deprived or anxious doing so.
I implemented just a few of the suggestions in Guralchuk's book and was able to
save a substantial amount of money on my electric bill within the first few months! I
would highly recommend this sensible, innovative and resourceful book.
Sigrid McDonald - Editor and Author of D' Amour Road
Judy certainly awakens and supports astute money management methods, many by personal experience, and many by just giving attention to the "back-to-basics" decision making of being debt free using positive attitude adjustment. This thought-provoking book certainly has many ideas to halt overspending and alternatives for a debt free future. A good read for families to discuss together and help children start saving and brainstorming to make better spending and financial choices.
Vickie Cariveau - Teacher
This book is very good for those who need to learn how to manage their finances. There has been a literary void in material that really works to obtain permanent financial astuteness. Judy's book is necessary and fills this void.
Wauneta Roth - Counselor
Have been reading your book. I love it - simplified pure genius! I could so identify with your debt situation, unfortunately,, I was approaching 50 when I realized my young daughter and I could no longer afford her father/ my husband. It's been a long, slow, difficult climb and I'm not there yet but am determined to be. Your book is exactly what I needed to set me back on track and enable me to finish that climb.
"Late Bloomer"
A Life Preserver in a Sea of Debt: Acquire Permanent Financial Stability by Judy Guralchuk. A useful book if you are either finally ready to get out of debt, or even if you need a little convincing. Guralchuk is passionate about helping people get out of debt, and uses her own personal experience as an inspiration.
Pros
Enjoyable to read
Specific tips to get out of debt
Includes the PAA - "Positive Attitude Adjustment"
Based on author's own experience
Cons
Only now becoming widely available
If it had been published 10 years ago, the debt crisis might have been less.
I first heard about this book when Judy contacted me to ask permission to use some of my calculations about credit card debt in her book (page 62, if you are interested). Although I have never been overextended in debt, many of my friends are, and I will definitely suggest they read this book. It has many tips on saving, which I will use because I like to save money (which is why I am debt-free).
The thing I like most about this book is Judy's passion for the topic. Most of my friends who are in debt seem to be fairly sanguine about it. In other words, they accept it as a way of life and just keep spending, rather than attack the debt like a tree to be cut down. Judy's passion to get out of debt springs from her own experience, so she really understands the psychology of how people get into debt. More importantly, she understands how they need to change their thinking to get out of it. She calls this PAA - Positive Attitude Adjustment. She refers to it frequently throughout the book, and correctly identifies it as the key component to get out of debt successfully.
She talks a lot about self-entitlements, which people in debt use to justify buying things they can't afford. This includes a cup of espresso to expensive jewelry. She explains how she came to realize that these self-entitlements were actually self-punishments because they kept her in financial insecurity. She goes on to explain how debtors can change their thinking to seeing how true self-gratification means living below their means to achieve their long-term goals.
If you truly want to get out of debt, I highly recommend getting, reading and, most importantly, using this book.
Kimberly Amadeo
See her U.S. Economy Blog at About.com
http://useconomy.about.com